Overview:

A Greek-Orthodox monastery, built as a
fortress, located in the Rehaviah valley (Cross valley). According
to tradition it is the site of the tree that was used to build the
cross of the crucifixion.

Tradition of the Tree:

The Holy tree, according to the tradition and the local paintings in
the Monastery, was based on a triplet seeding (pine + cypress +
cedar) that Abraham gave to Lot. Lot planted the tree at
this site and watered it with waters he fetched from the Jordan
river. The tree was later used to create the Holy Cross on
which Jesus was crucified. A room inside the Monastery marks the
site of the tree.

The cross
was later buried in the grave of Jesus (Holy Sepulchre).
Fragments of the cross were found by Helen, the mother of Emperor
Constantine who discovered the vault in her visit (326AD). They were
transferred to Rome and are on display in "Santa Croce in
Gerusalemme" (Church of the Holy Cross)

Painting above the entrance to the
church:

Lot watering the Holy Tree

History :

The monastery
was initially built in the Byzantine period, during the 5th C AD. It was
repaired by Caesar Justinian in the mid 6th C. The Monastery was
destroyed during the Persian invasion (614AD). In 796 the Arabs butchered all
the residing monks.

It was
rebuilt in the 11th C by a Georgian Monk, and enjoyed better times during the
times of the Crusaders. The site was a large center in the 13-14th C, and
hosted a hundreds of Georgian monks, scholars and poets.

After the Crusaders
left the city (1267AD) the site was under the control of the Mamelukes, who
added a mosque inside the complex. During the times of the Mamluk ruler
Baibars (1260-1277) the Church was demolished and the monks removed, but were
permitted to return on 1305 after pressure from Byzantine.

During the 16th C the
Arabs demanded to convert it to a mosque, on the grounds of the existence of a
mosque in the 13th C, but this attempt was blocked.

At the end of the 17th C
the Monastery changed control from the Georgians to the Greek-Orthodox church.
The number of residents has decreased over the years to a few.

The Monastery is open to the public and is
kept by a few resident monks. It is a popular visiting site for the Christian
pilgrims who visit Jerusalem.

Location:

The
Monastery is located in a park south-east to the Israeli Museum
and the Knesset (Israeli parliament). In ancient times this site,
3.5KM south west to the Christian quarter in the old city, was
actually a
remote and secluded site, which is typical of the Monasteries. Today,
however, the area
is bounded by one of the richer neighborhoods (Rehaviah, on its east
side) and the important public and Government buildings (on its
north-west side).

The
access to the site is from a service road that starts at the
junction of Harav-Herzog Blvd and Zalman-Shneur Rd (the lower left
corner in the aerial view below). The tourist buses also stop at the
junction of Herzog/BenZvi/Aza.

Photos:

(a) General view:

A general view of the monastery is seen from the south
on the following photo. It is protected by walls and looks more like a fortress
rather then a Holy place. The reason for these massive walls and the defensive
design of the Monastery was to protect it during the hostile middle
ages.

Within the complex is a square bell tower
and a brown dome with a cross on the top.

Click on the photos to view in higher
resolution...

A closer view of the Monastery, built in the 11th C.
The entrance, through a low and narrow doorway, is on the south-east
side (the right side of the photo below).

(b) Courtyard:

After entering into the western court yard, a door
leads into an inner court.

The inner courtyard is seen below. Around
the courtyard is a maze of rooms that served the monks. In its peak times the
Monastery hosted hundreds of pilgrims and residents.

On top of the monastery is a square bell tower. This was built
later, in the 19th C, and has two clocks on each side.

(c) Entrance to the Church:

This is the western entrance to the
church. The bell tower is seen above.

On top of the entrance door
(seen in the above photo) is
the painting with Lot planting the Holy tree at this site and watering it with
waters he fetched from the Jordan river. It was based on a triplet seeding
(pine + cypress + cedar) that the Abraham gave to Lot. The tree was
later used to create the Holy Cross on which Jesus was crucified.

(*) Thanks to R. Gale who corrected our
error

The church is located in the center of
the structure, on its eastern side. The door opens to a long entrance hall
with doors to the Basilica on the left side.

(d) The Church:

This is the western side of the Church
and its entrance door. The inscription above the right side of the door is
Greek, and the left side has an identical inscription in Georgian script. They
tell about the renovations held here in 1644, sponsored by Leontanian, by the
heads of the Monastery - Nikephoros Mousis and Gregorios Neophylos and
Gerasimos Menas.

A closer look at the door.
To the right of the door is a painting of King Solomon; he is holding a scroll
from the "Book of wisdom of Solomon". Below the Greek inscription,
is a painting of an unidentified bearded man.

Between the inscriptions is
a small painting, which is detailed on the right side.

Within a red circle are Mary
and infant Jesus. The Greek initials "IC XC" around Jesus stands for
"Jesus Christ".

The initials "MPOY" around
Mary stands for "Mother of God".

Just below the red circle
the Greek initials - meaning the "hand of God". Under
the initials is a hand of God holding a collection of skulls of
Monks.

The photo below shows the view of the basilica, with
the altar hidden behind the septum (partition).

In the center of the floor, close to the
septum, are the remains of an ancient mosaic floor. The mosaic
incorporates pictures of animals, plants and geometric patterns. The dark
stains on the floor, as we are told, are blood stains of the monks that were
butchered here in 796 AD by an Arab mob.

Another view of the eastern side, and the cavity under
the dome.

Some of the stands and panels inside the church are
seen in the next photos. They cast a special Holy sensation, as in all of the
Greek Orthodox churches.

On the right (south) side of the hall is
a chair reserved for the Greek Patriarch, seen below. Above the chair
(but not seen in the photo) is a fresco depicting the departure of Elijah on a
chariot of fire, while his pupil the prophet Elisha is observing from the
Jordan river and picking up his mantle (as per 2 Kings 8).

Another view of the grand septum - the
partition between the church hall and the main altar. On the right pillar,
seen on the right side of the photo below, is a fresco (wall painting) showing
Jesus.

On the top of the left pillar, facing the
hall, is a painting of the angel Gabriel who announced the birth of Jesus to
Mary; facing the septum is the Patriarch Yehuda.

The right panel closest to the door has Paul on the
left side (Peter is on his left but hidden in this photo).

Another fresco of saints on one of the pillars.

(e) Room of the Holy Tree:

A door on the left side of the church
leads to a narrow hall, which turns into the holiest place - the site of the
Holy tree. The photo below shows the small room, with paintings that tell the
story of the tree.

The highlight of the room is located
under the table with the red cloth: a small hole within a decorated
bronze plate marks the place where the holy Tree once stood.

On the walls of the room are several painted
panels. The left panel shows (from left to right) Lot escaping the
destruction of Sodom, Abraham giving lot the triplet seeding, and Lot planting
the tree.

The center panel starts from Lot who
waters the Holy Tree from the waters of the Jordan river. Many years later it
is cut down, and its wood are hauled by two men to the crucifixion site.

The wood is brought to the crucifixion
site, and Jesus is hammered to the cross, with the Roman soldiers watching on
the left side and Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene on the right background.

The last panel, just above the place of
the Holy tree, shows Jesus crucified on the cross with the two women
witnesses.

In the narrow hall are additional paintings and
displays, such as the crucified Jesus with Mary and Mary.

(f) Dwelling rooms:

The monks lived in the rooms around the church. The photo below shows one
of these rooms, located on the ground level on the western side.

(g) Dining Room and Kitchen:

The kitchen and dining room are located on the second
floor, on the eastern side of the church. The stoves of the kitchen are seen
below, where the food was prepared for the monks and guests of the Monastery.

The cooking pots in the kitchen.

The dining room is seen below, with long
marble tables.

Through this hole the water was fetched from the well.

Etymology (behind the name):

Matzlevah
- in Hebrew - "making of a cross". The name is based on the
Hebrew root word "Tzlav" = cross. The name is not an official Hebrew word and
is used only in this context; it may have been converted from its Arabic name.

Emek Hamatzlevah - in Hebrew - valley (Emek)
of the making of the cross

Rehaviah - in Hebrew - God (-iah) is
wide (Rahav). A residential area east to the valley of the cross.

Knesset - The Israeli parliament,
located north to the valley of the cross. Means "assembly" in Hebrew -
based on the root word "Kaness" - to assemble.